The Sweet Road to Love

by Jacki Kelly

  “You could be Little Red Riding Hood’s sister.” He laughed.

  “I’m trying to stay warm.”

  “It’s not that cold. Why were you waiting outside? I’d planned to come to the door and knock like a proper gentleman,” he said.

  “Oh, I was excited about tonight and was dressed, so I…I.” she stuttered.

  He continued. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard another woman admit being excited about a date with me. I thought that wasn’t cool. I’ve been looking forward to tonight, too.” He shifted into gear and pulled away from the curb.

  With a shoulder shrug, her lips curved into an innocent smile. “I have some old-fashioned ways. Just so you know, when I bring you home, I’ll be walking you to the door.”

  “A proper gentleman. I don’t know if I’ve seen one of them in eons. At least now I know what one looks like. You know you’re almost extinct?” She gave him a radiant smile.

  “There are probably more of us around than you know. We like to keep a low profile.”

  Her bubbly personality was back. The light hint of joy in her voice promised a fun night. It was the only thing he could think about all day. Even the work on Asa’s design for the fashion show seemed secondary. The urge to wrap his arms around her intensified.

  “I’ll remember that. So tell me who are we going to see tonight? I know you started to tell me before, but I was still in a haze.”

  “So you’re using me for fun?”

  “Can I be honest?” she asked. Without waiting for him to reply, she continued. “You’ve been a pleasant distraction. I can’t remember the last time I had fun with someone of the opposite sex, I would have gone with you to see a kiddie movie.”

  “What about last Saturday and Sunday?” He hoped her response came close to what she was feeling.

  “Let me see,” she paused. “How can I categorize my behavior? You saved an extremely horny woman from another night of loneliness. I think I’ll leave the rest to your imagination”

  “Not the answer I was hoping for.” His stomach tightened.

  “What should I have said?”

  “I don’t know. You’re the one who reads the romance letters. You could have come up with something more compelling.”

  “Let me see. My heart quivered at the sight of you. My body longs for your touch.” She giggled.

  “Okay smarty pants. I get it. Quiver? Nobody uses that word anymore.” He glanced at her. “Glad I could be there for you. It’s what we real gentlemen like doing best.” He made the left turn on Keswick Avenue. His sister seemed to think only men had commitment issues. Dakota was in that class of people too. Good company and a romp in the sheets might be the only thing she needed. Maybe he’d met his match. He could fall for her. Easily.

  “Tonight we’re going to see a medley of jazz artists. I hope you like jazz.”

  “I’m not into music too much. As you can see, I’m a book person, but I’m looking forward to the concert.”

  “I’ll tell you all about the music, and later, I’ll let you share your world of books with me.”

  “Deal.” She held up her fist for him to tap.

  He found a parking lot a block away from the theater. With his hand on her back, they weaved through the crowd mingling outside, smoking their last cigarettes before heading in.

  The atmosphere inside the lobby grew more festive. People milled around before making their way to their seats.

  “I don’t think I’ve been to a concert since I was in college. Even then, I couldn’t tell you the name of the group I saw. We were just a bunch of girls on a wild night out.” Dakota took the interior seat.

  “I feel honored then.”

  The lights dimmed and the concert emcee took the stage to introduce the first act. The music was too loud to have a conversation but Dakota swayed with the beat and each time bumped his arm in rhythm with the music. She looked at him and mouthed something he couldn’t understand. He pointed to his ear and shook his head. Instead of repeating her gesture she leaned across the seat and kissed him. Her sweet tongue lingered against his. The lights came up midway through the show for intermission.

  They were slow to stand. “You look like you’re enjoying yourself,” he said.

  She continued to shake her hips even though the only music was canned. “I am. This is fantastic. I can’t believe I’ve been missing so much.”

  “Let’s walk to the lobby. You look like you could use some popcorn.”

  “You’re right. I could.” She slipped out of the seat and into the aisle.

  They fell in line behind the procession to the front of the theater. He reached back for her small hand.

  “Gosh, I didn’t realize I was hungry until I smelled the popcorn,” she said as they stood at the end of the concession line.

  From the far side of the lobby, he spotted Sharon. Heat crept up his spine and settled on his neck. Their eyes locked for a moment too long. He stiffened as she headed his way. If she intended to create a scene, he wasn’t up for her nonsense tonight. If his father taught him little else, he drilled in the idea of discretion. It was now part of his mantra, just like the Boy Scout oath and his pledge to stay unattached. If he couldn’t keep his business private, he might as well get married, then there was nothing to keep to himself. Words of wisdom from his father.

  “Hey, Bishop.” Her familiar sing-song voice rang out his name.

  “Hello, Sharon.”

  Dakota stepped away from him. Her eyes widened. He tightened his hold on her hand, pulling her closer.

  “Sharon, I’d like you to meet a good friend of mine, Dakota Conroy.”

  Dakota stuck out her hand with a big smile. “Hi, Sharon.”

  Sharon shook her hand without looking at Dakota.

  Bishop inched forward in line, hoping Sharon would move on. Instead she planted her stiletto heeled feet just inches from his foot.

  “So, how have you been, Bishop? I’ve been trying to get in touch with you. Did your sister give you my messages?” Sharon rested her hand on his arm.

  Without removing her hand, he focused his attention on her. “Sharon, as you can see, I’m pretty busy right now. How’s everything between you and Richard?”

  “Richard’s history.”

  “Sorry to hear that. Take care of yourself.” He shifted his body until her hand fell. He wrapped his arm around Dakota’s waist and stepped to the popcorn counter. Several seconds ticked by before Sharon rolled her eyes and strutted away. “A friend of yours, huh?” Dakota asked.

  “An old friend.”

  “Old as in dear?” Dakota positioned her body to stare at him.

  “No, old as in a long time ago.” A prickle of perspiration peppered his neck. He stuck his finger inside his collar, loosening the material. The look she gave him said she didn’t believe his story. “Do you think you will ever be able to trust me?” He paid for the popcorn and soda.

  “You’ve done nothing inappropriate.” She placed a piece of popcorn in her mouth. “I’m not as delicate as I look.”

  “Good to know.”

  “But don’t push me, Bishop.” She chuckled and plucked another piece of popcorn from the bag.

  “Have I given you any reason not to trust me?” He maneuvered her back into the theater as the lights blinked, signaling the start of the show. “What happened to innocent until proven guilty?”

  “Life.” She took her seat. “But you saw the look on Sharon’s face. She hasn’t let you go, yet.”

  Her eyes revealed fear. It was the look he’d seen in his sister’s eyes when she’d told him she was pregnant. The only difference was Dakota didn’t try to hide her emotions.

  “Sharon broke off our relationship when she started dating a player on the Nets basketball team. My guess is that relationship is over, and she’s surfing for someone else to warm her bed.”

  “Wow, that’s harsh.”

  “That’s the truth.”

  The emcee announced the next act as the lights w
ent down.

  As soon as the music started, Dakota was out of her seat, swinging her hips with the thump, thump, thump of the drums. Her infectious enthusiasm made it easy to forget Sharon’s annoying interruption. Each time Dakota shook her hips, they telegraphed a message to his groin. When they were together, his brain shifted into calculating mode, thinking of ways to extend their time together. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but they weren’t just hanging out, having a good time. She was under his skin and he enjoyed the rush. By the time the lights came on at the end of the show, the two of them had laughed and hummed along with each of the artists.

  “Are you hungry?” He held her close as they made their way back to the car.

  “I’m starved. I didn’t have time to eat before you picked me up.”

  “Then maybe I ought to feed you.” He planted an innocent kiss on her temple. Dakota Conroy was something special. She could throw him off his game.

  §§§

  Dakota liked the way Bishop guided her to the car with his hand positioned on her lower back. The pressure he applied sent ripples up her spine, with a tremendous sense that they were a couple. She backed that thought out of her head. No matter how special he made her feel, she couldn’t assume this wasn’t just part of his style, part of his cache to attract women. He knew how to make women feel special, all playboys did.

  She glanced up. His solid chin was slightly lifted against the cold. He stuck his hand in her coat pocket.

  “I’m trying to stay warm.” He grinned and flashed his even white teeth.

  “See, you thought I was crazy with the scarf and the mittens, didn’t you?”

  “Really, this is just an excuse to get closer to you.” He tightened his hand on her waist.

  “You don’t need an excuse.” She unwound her scarf and wrapped the two of them in it.

  They were more of a couple than she and Brian had ever been. With Brian, she always had the sense he’d held a small piece of himself back. Bishop’s in-your-face desire was refreshing. Even if their relationship didn’t lead to forever, she wanted to enjoy every moment while they lasted.

  When they approached the car she realized, as always, she was moving fast. Thinking about a future with him was lethal. She closed her eyes for a second, trying to focus on the present. She couldn’t stop her active imagination from pulling up images of Bishop every hour of every day.

  She still heard the music pounding in her ears even though the concert had ended an hour ago. “I may have an earache tomorrow.”

  “That’s the downside of a concert.” He pulled the car out of the lot. “Other than a little deafness, you shouldn’t have any other side effects.”

  “Deafness? You make that sound like no big thing.”

  “Look at it this way, if everyone in our generation is going to concerts, we’ll all be deaf. So we can just talk louder. We can always stand around and compare who has the latest and greatest in hearing aid technology.”

  His nonchalant attitude toward something so serious lightened her heart. He didn’t feel the need to let life weigh him down. The hearty sound of her own laughter made her laugh even more. He joined her. Without taking his eyes off the traffic, his chuckle started out slow, but within seconds, the two of them could barely catch their breath.

  “I can’t remember the last time I had such so much fun,” she managed between gasps.

  “What about—”

  “In public. I’m talking about in public.” She swatted his arm.

  “Oh. That’s better. Because I was laying my smoothest moves on you the other night.”

  “So, you’re not always such an attentive lover?”

  “I didn’t say that. Pleasing you was the only thing I could think about last weekend.”

  She pressed the palm of her hand against her chest. “Are you serious? You’re just trying to talk your way back into my panties aren’t you?”

  Bishop looked at her without expression. The car behind them honked when the light changed and he didn’t accelerate.

  “You don’t have much regard for me, do you?”

  “That’s not true. I haven’t spent much time around such a ladies’ man, so all my knowledge comes from movies I’ve seen.”

  “Well believe it or not, most of that stuff isn’t true. At least not as far as I’m concerned.”

  “You take such a carefree approach to everything,” She was serious now, too.

  “Why not? I never want to take myself too serious. That night at Simeon’s house, you said you were going to be different. I was trying to be helpful.”

  Dakota stared at him. With her hands folded in her lap, she drew a deep breath. He was right. So far, she’d kept her vow. But the more time they spent together, the more she wanted him.

  This was fun. Her old self was returning. Their future was limited. She’d have to time their exit just right before she got hurt.

  Her sisters thought she was a scatterbrain. She didn’t mind the nickname. Their endless list of things they needed to accomplish weighed them down. Unlike them, she took life as it presented itself. Conquering problems that hadn’t materialized was pointless. Tonight, Bishop only seemed interested in making sure she had a good time. The attention was well worth the thumping in her ears. She wrapped her arms around her waist. She was playing with fire, but couldn’t back away from his hypnotizing charm.

  The vision of Sharon nagged at her. The way she laid her hand on his arm and the intense look in her eyes declared ownership. If they weren’t still seeing each other, it wasn’t because she didn’t want to.

  “What would you like to eat?” He drew her out of her thoughts.

  “Let’s see.” She pretended to give her choice great consideration. “How about pizza? We can stop at Tony’s. I think they’re still open.” She leaned over to glance at the clock on the dashboard.

  “Okay. Now that I’ve shared my music with you, you have to tell me, what is your favorite book of all time?” When he smiled, his whole face changed. His eyes sparkled.

  “Oh, now that’s a tough one. My customers ask me that all the time and I’m always reluctant to tell them. I don’t want to influence their opinions.”

  “I’m really curious. Can a bookstore owner have a favorite?”

  “I guess I’d have to say my favorite is Gloria Naylor. She wrote Mama Day.” Dakota looked at him to see his response. “Have you heard of her? I honestly could not put that book down.”

  “No. But most of my reading is on designs and architecture, so I can’t be a judge.” He pulled into the parking lot of Tony’s. With the late hour, the place was nearly deserted. He turned off the car and focused his attention on her. “Why is that your favorite?”

  “You really want to know?”

  “I do.”

  “When I first read the book, the story scared the hell out of me. My family used to talk about people working voodoo on each other. I always thought it was just a big joke. But that book made me wonder…”

  “So that’s what’s going on here. You must have put some kind of spell on me that night at your place. I can’t seem to get enough of you.” He stroked the top of her hand.

  She snatched her hand away and swatted him. “You wish. I think you took a lock of my hair and put it in your shoe, just so I’d follow you.”

  “It’s working, huh?” He laughed as he opened his door and walked around to open hers. “Are you superstitious?” They walked to the front door of the small Italian restaurant.

  “Well, I don’t walk under ladders or cross black cats, if that’s what you mean. And from now on, I’m making sure I know where every strand of my hair is at all times.”

  “Not to worry. As long as you’re following me, I’ll take good care of you.” They took a seat at a table jammed in the corner of the small restaurant. Instead of sitting in the chair across from her, he squeezed into the one beside her.

  They sat so close, his arm brushed her shoulder. She removed her leather jacket to feel his heat
. She couldn’t get enough of him. Talking to a man in person was much better than the long distance relationship she’d had with Brian. She felt like a castaway making human contact for the first time in months.

  “What do you want on your pie?” His breath smelled liked popcorn. She searched his luscious lips. The intensity in his brown eyes was close to hypnotic. She would have been content with eating cardboard.

  “It’s after midnight. I can’t eat meat this late.”

  He cocked his head to one side. “Why not?”

  “Just can’t. I won’t sleep a wink if I do.”

  “Then let’s order the extra meat pizza. I don’t think we’re getting much sleep tonight anyway.”

  He lifted her chin with the tip of his index finger and his lips captured her mouth. Their tongues engaged in a friendly battle, just like their banter. She shifted in her seat to squash the desire blooming between her legs.

  Chapter Twelve

  The empty pizza tin and soiled napkins cluttered the table. Bishop looked happy. The evening had been great and he didn’t need to spend a gob of money to make her smile. The server removed the empty pizza tray from the table. Bishop had agreed to eat a vegetable pizza to please her, even though she knew he would have preferred some beef and pork. Just that simple gesture made her drape her arms around his neck and kiss him.

  “So, are you spending the night with me?” Bishop wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

  “I can’t. I don’t even have a toothbrush.” She didn’t sound convincing, but she needed to slow down. They were moving too fast. “I can get you anything you need.”

  “What, do you keep extra panties at your house in all sizes just in case?” She placed her napkin on the table.

  “You’ll only need a toothbrush. Believe me, you won’t need panties.”

  She contemplated his comment with a twist of her lips. She wouldn’t say no. Even if she could form the word, she couldn’t vocalize the sentiment.

  “Do you have hummus?” She moved her face close to his.

  “I will by the time you want some.” He pushed away from the table and helped her put on her coat. After wrapping the bright red scarf around her neck they walked out into the cold night air to the car. She held him tight for his warmth and because she couldn’t deny her budding attraction to him.